NIEHS And U.C. Davis Researchers Find Protein That May Be Key To Non-Hormonal Family Planning And Treatment Of Infertility

Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
and the University of California at Davis report that one of the body's
approximately 70,000 proteins, called fertilin-beta, is essential for bringing
together sperm and egg for fertilization. The research team, led by Chunghee
Cho of UC-Davis, presented findings that will be a milestone in understanding
how a new life begins.

The researchers believe this finding can pave the way for a non-hormonal
approach to family planning and the diagnosis and treatment of some types of
infertility.

Twenty years of work by the UC-Davis investigators established that
fertilin-beta plays an important role in fusion of the sperm to the egg in
fertilization. In this latest study, a collaboration with NIEHS scientists,
mice were produced with a knockout of the fertilin-beta gene. The investigators
were not surprised that sperm from these mice were unable to fuse with eggs.
However, they did not expect to find that the sperm could not travel up the
oviduct or bind to the zona pellucida, the envelope surrounding the egg.

Dr. Cho, first author on the paper, said that "astronomers study the Big
Bang, the moment when the Universe began. In life, sperm-egg fusion is the Big
Bang and we now understand more about the few seconds before and few seconds
after this event" said Dr. Cho. "With all the current concerns about the
possible effects of endocrine disruptors on fertility and of hormone-based
contraceptives on the development of so'"/>

(Date:3/31/2015)... Orlando, Florida (PRWEB) March 31, 2015 ... announced the official relocation of their U.S. facilities and ... more than 25 years of experience, Cryos’ relocation is ... presence. , The move to Orlando was completed during ... with an official opening taking place on April 6. ...

(Date:3/30/2015)... CHICAGO , March 30, 2015 Heidrick & Struggles ... search , leadership consulting and culture shaping ... joined the firm to lead its global Healthcare and Life ... Healthcare and Life Sciences, Mitchell will lead a team of ... Europe and Asia ...